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Saturday, April 26, 2014

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books 2014 Part 1 (Saturday April 12th, 2014)

Hey Everyone!!

So it's been taking me a while to write this post, only because the last couple of weeks have been just a tad insane! I know I keep saying that, and while I keep thinking things will slow down, they just haven't, and probably won't for the next few weeks, at least until my classes are over, and I have a small amount of down time during the summer! :)

Also my computer was in the shop for almost a week, and I just got it back the other day. Luckily everything fine! :)

Anyway, I did something extremely awesome a couple of weeks ago, that's I have dying to share with all of you! I went to The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 12th and 13th! I've been wanting to go to that event for the last few years! I ALMOST went last year, but I was off by one month from getting my drivers license, so unfortunately I missed it. But this year, with my license, and my car, nothing was going to stop me!

Because we met so many authors, and how full both days were of events, I've decided to split this post into two. Today's is for Saturday April 12th. And tomorrow's post will be for Sunday April 13th!

So where to begin??

How about who I went with??

I went with one of my good friends, Amara, who runs Nerdy Novella, which btw I am sorry but I have to take credit for her starting! ;) Blogging about books we love is just so darn awesome, it's not even funny!

Anyway, Amara and I left town around 6:30 in the morning for USC (the University of Southern California). Both of us had never been there before, so leaving early, and driving to one of the biggest cities in the world, was kind of a necessity. Also Coachella was happening that weekend, and we definitely didn't want to hit that traffic!

So Saturday started with us arriving at USC around 8:30 am.

The walkways before everything officially started

USC Campus in the morning

USC Campus (Saturday morning)

We actually originally thought Saturday was going to be sort of our relaxing day because we only had a couple of authors lined up to see. However, I had no idea how ridiculous one of the authors I was most looking forward to see line was going to be...John Green.

BUT before I met John Green, we started our day at the YA stage with Ransom Riggs (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children), John Boyne (The Boy in the Striped Pajamas), and two other authors, Jonathan Auxier (Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes), and Francesca Lia Block (Teen Spirit).

Paparazzi Shot!! Before the panel went up. That's Ransom Riggs with his wife!! Another famous author, see text below :)

When Ransom Riggs first took the stage, with Francesca Lia Block (Left) and Jonathan Auxier (right)

Ransom Riggs, reading from his newest novel "Hollow City"

John Boyne reading from his latest novel, "This House is Haunted"

The entire panel

Plus, while I was watching I happened to notice someone on the side lines...

Tahereh Mafi!!

Yes, that is Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me)!!! Who, which some of you may not know, happens to be married to Ransom Riggs!!

While I don't own Shatter Me, and I wasn't expecting to meet her, otherwise I would have bought a copy (I read it from the library a couple of years ago), I did have sign something I've been thinking of getting signed for a while now...

My Kindle Cover!!

My Kindle cover, which I've had along with my Kindle for about two and a half years now, is just too blue! A gorgeous blue, but so bare! So what better way to make it less blue than by covering with signatures from some of my favorite authors?!

Anyhow, now to the rest of the day...including my time spent waiting for John Green... OH THE WAITING!!

So yes, I got to see John Green!

But while I hate to admit it guys, I'm going to be honest here...I was a little disappointed meeting him. And I'll explain in a few, as soon as I share with you parts of the interview I saw with him and another author.

So why was it disappointing meeting John Green, you may be asking? Well, it doesn't really have much to do with John Green, because honestly, I didn't even get to say a word to him. But because of the people that were present during the signing.

First off, there some girl behind me, while I was waiting in line for the conversation to start that decided she had to prove she was better than me. I honestly can't stand people like that! Why does everything need to become a competition?! I was honestly only trying to start up conversations with the people around me, because how many times do you get to be surrounded by people who like the same thing as you?! For me, not very often!

Anyway, this girl was one of those people who just annoyed me. I was trying to be nice, and asked her, "So I take it you're a fan of John Green?" to just sort of break the ice, as we stood awkwardly in line, and she goes, "Yes, what have YOU read by him?"

I answered truthfully with, "Honestly, I have only read The Fault in Our Stars by him, but I fell so completely in love with it when it first came out a couple of years, that I instantly jumped at the chance to meet him!"

And she answered with a pretty snotty attitude, "Well, I personally think that anyone who hasn't read ALL of his books, should probably not even be here."

Excuse my language, but Bitch Please?!

All I answered to that, before I turned away and ended the conversation with this chick was, "And personally think everyone has a right to be here, so there we differ!"

THEN, the "fun" doesn't end there! Do you guys want to know what the line looked like?

Well here you go...

Please excuse the guy rubbing his eye, but do you see that chaos??

And do you know how long it took to stand in that line of chaos???

Almost FOUR HOURS!!!!! But in the end, while I was disappointed by how much we were all rushed through, when we actually finally did get to meet John, I got my books signed...

Because my "Fault in Our Stars" was already signed (I bought it signed at Target when it first came out in 2012), I requested to just have it personalized, which he wasn't supposed to be doing, but since it was already signed, I just honestly wanted my name added.)

It was insanity! Absolutely insane! I was starving getting into the line, and absolutely ravenous getting out. But there was no time for food when authors were to be met!!

The stage at the Bovard Theater, before John Green went up

The Bovard Theater

John Green

John Green

Up next, at 4:30 in the afternoon (yes from 12:30 until just before 4:30, I was waiting to meet John Green!) we went to our next panel!

Which included...

Margaret Stohl (coauthor of Beautiful Creatures), Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke and Bone), Cynthia Leitich Smith (Feral Nights), and Soman Chainani (The School for Good and Evil).

There conversation panel was a lot of fun to listen to, mainly because of Margaret Stohl. She was hilarious!! While, you could tell she was annoying some of the other authors on the panel (*cough* Cynthia *cough*), I thought she was extremely entertaining. But that may have been because she was the main reason I went to that panel! She and Laini Taylor that is!

After that conversation, which unfortunately I forgot to record, we went to get our books signed.

Laini Taylor and me

My signed copy of Laini Taylor's "Daughter of Smoke and Bone"

Margaret Stohl and me, with my copy of "Beautiful Creatures"

My signed bookmark by Margaret Stohl

My signed copy of "Beautiful Creatures" by Margaret Stohl

While we were waiting in line, I sort of left Amara alone, because I had really been hoping to meet Rainbow Rowell (whose panel was earlier in the day, during the time I was in line for John Green), but unfortunately I missed her, and was not able to get my copy of Fangirl signed ;(. But honestly, I can't really complain because I met so many amazing authors during that weekend!

And that was the end of Day One! It was pretty darn stressful, but none the less still a lot of fun (besides the small things), but I wasn't going to let those ruin my day!

5 comments:

I was at the Laini Taylor/ Margaret Stohl signings! But I was one of the first few since I skipped the panel to make the line. I walked by the John Green area while everyone was still waiting and it was ridiculous I can't believe he was still there when I walked by so long after. And the Rainbow Rowell line was just as crazy (though of course not as long) but I haven't read her books so I was there for E. Lockhart.

I'm so glad you made it there!! I was disappointed I couldn't go, but I am living vicariously through you! That John Green girl must live a sad life to be so mean and rude!!! I'm glad you got your book personalized! !:D

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Hello My name is Mandy! I am the founder and creator of The Romance Bookie, which I started in December of 2010. Ever since my freshman year of high school, reading has been a huge part of my life. While I've grown as a person over the past couple of years, and reading hasn't become the #1 priority it used to be, it still is a huge part of my life, and is part of the reason I am the person I am today.
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